(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an array substrate and a liquid crystal display having the function of electrostatic discharge protection, particularly to an array substrate and a liquid crystal display having the function of electrostatic discharge protection by using a transient voltage suppressor (TVS).
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, a liquid crystal display includes an array substrate, a color filter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The color filter substrate faces the array substrate and the liquid crystal layer is located between the two substrates. FIG. 1 shows a top-view illustrating the array substrate of a conventional liquid crystal display. The array substrate 10 includes a substrate 11, a pixel array 15, a driving device, and at least one conductive wiring 13 provided on the substrate 11. The driving device includes a driver 12 and a driving circuit 14. The pixel array 15 is coupled to the driving circuit 14 of the driving device. The driving circuit 14 drives and controls the pixel array 15 to display an image. The conductive wiring 13 is coupled to the driving device and a common electrode (not shown) on the color filter substrate. The driving device provides a common voltage (Vcom) to the common electrode on the color filter substrate as a reference voltage for the pixel array 15. Generally, the conductive wiring 13 is provided in a non-active display region 17 on which no pixel array 15 is formed, and the non-active display region 17 usually surrounds the pixel array 15.
The conductive wiring 13 is coupled to the driving device, and thus the electrostatic surges formed by electrostatic charges from the substrate 11 may enter the driving device through the conductive wiring 13 to damage the driving device. In order to prevent the display device from being damaged by electrostatic charges, in conventional designs, an electrostatic discharge protection circuit (not shown) is provided on the substrate 11 and coupled to the conductive wiring 13. However, accompanying with the advance in the technology of the driving device, the driving device becomes highly integrated and compact and is made by fine fabrication processes to thereby open a strong possibility of being damaged by electrostatic charges. Thus, the conventional design of an electrostatic discharge protection circuit becomes unsuitable nowadays.